Rainbow flags to mark Pride week were vandalized three times in a week in the Village de Val-David municipality in the Laurentians, north of Montreal.

In an interview with CityNews, the mayor of Val-David, Jean-Claude Rocheleau, said on July 27 the bottom of the rainbow flag hanging outside the petite gare de Val-David, on de l’Église Street, was cut.

The following night, the rest of the flag was cut off and burnt, he said.

The municipality replaced the flag on Aug. 3, and that night it was vandalized again, ripped off the building and in two, Rocheleau said.

The mayor said the cases have been reported to the Sûreté du Québec and surveillance will be increased.

No cameras were on the building at the time of the vandalism, but Rocheleau said the flag will be replaced and cameras will be installed. “We will keep putting the flag up,” he said.

In a Facebook post, the municipality said the flag was installed to mark Pride week.

“This symbolic gesture reflects our desire to contribute to a welcoming, open, and inclusive community where everyone can be their true selves,” the post reads.

Several hateful comments were left on that Facebook post.

Alain Dorval, who started the “Queers des Laurentides” Facebook group, says he has also faced hateful messages online.

“When we were starting events here, we would get threats,” Dorval said.

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